This easy meal looks just as tasty as it appears easy to make.

We love an easy dinner, so we couldn’t wait to give this recipe a try!

Please click here to visit skinnytaste and see the instructions that we followed!

Mission: To try out a crock pot recipe in hopes it will become a family favorite!

Details:

I love crock pot cooking – it’s low mess, low maintenance and recipes cooked in the crock pot usually turn out tasty. This recipe was easy from the get-go and the ingredients were all easy to find with nothing being out of the ordinary.

I got all of the ingredients in the crock in the morning and placed four chicken breasts on the top as noted and went about my day.

I let it sit on low heat for 8 hours before taking out the chicken and shredding it up. By 8 hours, everything seemed to be cooked through and the chicken was very soft and ready to go at that point.

Once I shredded the chicken, I added it back in and gave a few good stirs to the chili before getting the cilantro chopped and prepping the other fun toppings.

Each of my family members chose their own toppings. I prepped plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, cilantro and chopped black olives. I used cilantro and the Greek yogurt on mine. It was very tasty!

Tips & Tricks Learned:

To turn up the heat a bit, I used a poblano pepper in addition to a red bell pepper.

Instead of using the taco seasoning the recipe called for, I added 1 tsp. of garlic powder, an additional tsp. of chili powder and 1 tsp. of paprika.

Pros:

EASY!!! Not much for prep work and an easy way to have a filling dinner.

My daughter LOVED this chili – she went on an on about it as we were eating!

Cons:

It was much more of a stew vs. a typical soup or chili. There wasn’t much of a broth at all, which I really wanted more of.

I think adding more tomato sauce or some chicken broth would help in that area. Or maybe using just three chicken breasts might help as well.

Conclusion:

This was a very easy recipe to follow and overall a good outcome. I’m not sure we will make it again, but it was a great one to try!

Mission: Two of my favorite things in one crock pot: tacos and chili! I was actually a little scared to try this one though, since I couldn’t quite imagine how these two favorites would taste together.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

I went for the “Cook on High for 4 Hours” option and my chili was bubbling in 2. The chicken was totally done in 3 hours and was falling apart (what I call “self-shredding“) at 3 1/2 hours. Awesome.

Pros:

I’m not sure that I have ever made anything so awesome with such little effort exuded.

I think that the corn, cilantro and added chilies are what give this chili more of a taco taste. It still tastes like just a really good chili though, so no need to be scared about the combo.

This chili also freezes really well!

Cons:

I would pass on the frozen diced onions next time. That was not the best idea. I had a few bites that had hard little onion pieces in it. I have used fresh, diced onions since my initial run and was much happier with the results.

Conclusion:

We loved it! In fact, I used this recipe as my official 2013 entry into the Annual Chili Cook-Off that we host each year at our home with our college pals. We didn’t win, but tied for second! Now that’s a good chili!

Conclusion:

Mission: Put my crock pot to use making this quick chili to warm us up in this chilly weather.

Details:

I woke up excited to get this going in the crock. I love nothing more than my house filled with the aroma of good food!

I mostly followed the recipe minus corn. I am not a huge fan of corn in chili so I just left it out.

I also ended up adding 1 cup of chicken broth after it cooked on low for 3.5 hours. I just felt that it was a little thicker than I wanted it to be after adding the shredded chicken back into the pot (I used 4 pretty small chicken breasts).

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Watch your chicken! Mine was done at 3.5 hours on low and was likely done at 3 but I didn’t expect that so I was only checking and stirring once an hour.

Once my chicken was done I shredded it while it was warm then mixed it back into my pot. I then changed the temp to just warm because really everything was really cooked at this point – even the onions!

I served it up with Fritos for crunch, pepper jack cheese and a sprinkling of cilantro.

Pros:

Truly simple with VERY little prep. The only cutting was the onions. Other than that I had some cans to open and a little mixing to get it put together.

This could be completely cooked in less than 4 hours on low which is awesome.

It would be great for family event or a lazy Sunday.

Cons:

My only complaint is how thick it was before I added the broth but that was easily fixed so really this dish is a complete winner!

Conclusion:

This chili is bomb and was crazy simple to throw together. Even my bean-hating hubby gave it a thumbs up! I will definitely be making this again.

I ended up freezing a couple of jars and look forward to seeing how it holds up in the freezer too.

Mission: To create a healthier version of chili with chicken – yes, please!

Details:

My family does not like beans. Kidney, black, brown, grey – whatever, we do not like and will not eat! The texture is really gross and it turns into gag city around here. I know, I know – beans are so good for you. Blah!

I totally skipped over the beans and did not add them at all.

I also used 2 frozen chicken breasts instead of 3-4.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

The recipe said to cook on low for 10 hours and on high for 6 hours. What the?! That seemed really long to me and especially with chicken.

Mine cooked on low for 6 and it turned out perfectly.

Pros:

Combine and wait – how easy is that?

Cons:

None

Conclusion:

Like the wise man Ron Popeil once said, ” Set it and forget it”. I am all about crock pot cooking! So easy and delicious and this recipe is no slouch. I thought it really had a great flavor and would definitely make this again, minus the beans.

Easy to make, and easy on the wallet, we couldn’t wait to dive in to this delish dish!

Please click here to visit irrelephant and see the instructions that we followed!

Mission: To make a delicious and refreshing pasta salad with a few basic ingredients. Potato salad and chips get old, fast!

Details:

Any type of pasta works great. I used Penne because that is what I had on hand.

I planted an herb garden on the deck this year and I used a few handfuls of sweet basil for this recipe

Fresh mozzarella is always best

My hubby ate half of my grape tomatoes, so I had to cut mine in half to get more bang for my buck

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Balsamic vinegar although recipe calls for a dressing.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

The recipe states to cool or chill the pasta 4-6 hours before adding the dressing. Yeah right! If any of you know me at all, I have zero patience for waiting. I rinsed my pasta off in cool water and then drained it thoroughly. Next, I popped it in the fridge for a few minutes before adding all the ingredients and dressing.

Pros:

So easy to make.

Cons:

None!!!

Conclusion:

I was pleasantly surprised! This salad has such a light and yummy flavor and will definitely make this again with that yummy fresh mozzarella.

Details:

For the cheese I used one of my favorites Bel Gioioso Fresh Mozzarella Pearls. I like to have these on hand for an impromptu mommy dinner complete with a nice glass of wine, some olives and crispy crackers (all while sitting in a dark closet where my children can’t find me).

The tomatoes and basil were harvested out of my deck garden. YUM and cheers to super fresh eats!

Tips & Tricks Learned:

I definitely suggest testing your dressing to salad ratio before chilling. You hate to have a flavorless side!

Pros:

This salad is a cinch to throw together and a serious crowd pleaser. I had family over when I made this and they loved it.

Cons:

None. Not a single thing to complain about or be disappointed in with this dish.

Conclusion:

This will now be in permanent rotation in our house. I can’t wait to get invited to a BBQ or potluck so I can serve this to friends!

Cons:

Conclusion:

Mission: Caprese salad is one of our all-time summer favorites. I’m a huge fan of fresh mozzarella combined with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. When I saw this recipe I instantly knew it would become a summer staple for cookouts with the family.

I combined the ingredients, tossed, and then ribboned the basil leaves and put them in.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Use a serrated knife when cutting the mozzarella and tomatoes. It keeps the edges nice and clean and not all squished.

Salt your pasta water after it comes to a boil.

Pros:

Freaking yummy and super easy, using minimal ingredients.

Cons:

Absolutely none!

Conclusion:

This recipe of course was delicious. Everyone at the party enjoyed it. You can jazz it up a bit more too; I often like to add black olives or diced salami, both keeping with the Italian theme. So if you like the classic caprese salad, you will love this pasta salad. Quick, easy, and delizioso!

Better brush up on your Sirtaki! Opa!

Please click here to visit Savoring the Thyme and see the instructions that we followed!

Mission: I’ve been dying to try Savor the Thyme’s recipe. When I first spotted it on Pinterest, I drooled on my computer. Any excuse for me to use feta in a recipe. Not to mention, I’m tired of the same old chicken. I’m trying to only serve lean protein and we’re all getting bored with it. “Chicken again?”

Details:

The directions we’re easy to follow. Just flour the chicken breasts (season first) and cook them in the frying pan with some olive oil.

The fun part was putting together the Greek goodness. Olives, Feta, and tomatoes! Yum.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Use a cutting board that has a lip around the edge so the tomatoes and olives don’t go rolling off when you try to slice them.

Pros:

Simple and so delicious! And it has feta!

Cons:

None, aside from the fact that I should have made more of the topping just to throw on a salad.

Conclusion:

First of all my husband was pleased not to have to eat the same old chicken recipes I usually make! This one had a ton of flavor and was truly easy to make. It’s definitely something I can whip up quick when I get home from work. Did I mention I LOVE feta!? I’m sure this would be a great crowd pleaser for a group as well. It’s not only flavorful, it’s eye appealing as well. I’m going to try this a little different next time…marinating the chicken in Greek dressing first. We’ll see how it goes.

Mission: To cook healthier meals for the New Year…always a resolution! And this looked delicious!

Details:

I am trying hard to follow the Paleo diet so I had to use almond flour to coat the chicken instead of all-purpose flour.

I changed it up a bit by sautéing the spinach with the garlic (yummy…I used lots of garlic) then I topped the finished dish with fresh chopped basil.

Despite trying to keep the Paleo diet I still topped with the crumbled feta. A gal still needs cheese, it makes everything a little more scrumptious. And what’s Greek inspired if it doesn’t contain olives and feta!?!

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Be certain to defrost the chicken…I was too lazy to and it took a bit longer for my chicken to cook. It came out a bit dry because of this.

Pros:

Very easy to make, healthy and the ingredients were super cheap!

Cons:

Nothing really, my chicken was dry but that was because of my own laziness!

Conclusion:

Mike and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be saving this to make it again! Very healthy dish that is super quick to make!

Details:

YUM! This recipe sounded great from the get-go and really turned out amazing.

This recipe had minimal ingredients, that were all easy to find, so that was a plus from the start.

Our family tries to steer clear of gluten as much as possible, so I substituted almond flour for the regular flour it called for.

In addition, I added chopped onion when the tomatoes and olives were tossed in the oil as we love onions in this house!

This recipe was so easy to prep and cook so we will definitely be making it again! I couldn’t believe how quick it all came together – I think I was in the kitchen no more than 20 – 25 minutes before it was done and on the table.

Next time we make this, I may try using kalamata olives in place of the black olives for a little extra zing.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Make sure your oil of choice is hot before you start cooking your chicken. The chicken breasts I used were a bit thick, so the cooking time was more like 5-6 minutes per side vs. the 3-4 it called for.

Pros:

Easy, healthy and delicious! This would be a great go-to recipe for entertaining.

Cons:

Nothing!

Conclusion:

So delicious and my husband and kids loved it! I can’t wait to make it again!!!

Mission: Try a new way to spruce up the good ole chicken breast (let’s be honest – it can be rather boring!).

Details:

I used 5 chicken breasts instead of a package of three but I think the lbs. were about the same.

I did finish the dish with some thinly cut fresh baby spinach.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

I am a true chicken-over-cooker at heart and have a VERY hard time not turning the meat several times and NOT cutting into it to check the doneness at the end. Both of these issues usually result in over cooked chicken but I got lucky this time and that did not happen. I did however; lose a lot of the delicious, crispy goodness due to my excessive turning. Moral of the story boys and girls, just turn it once. That really is all you need!

Pros:

Easy, quick, cheap, fairly on hand ingredients or at least ones that even I can get in the back woods I call home.

Cons:

Well my children. They are the only con. Having zero to do with the dish itself (it was truly insanely delish and would be a major crowd pleaser for a group of adults) my kids didn’t like the fact that there was “stuff” on top of the chicken. I kind of new that would happen but for the sake of a picture I topped it anyway. They lived by either not eating it or scraping it off.

Conclusion:

I will DEFINITELY be making this again. My hubby ate two servings and raved about it (which can be rare since I do usually overcook chicken). The flavor was SO good!

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Who doesn’t love tomato soup? We discovered a fresh new take on this favorite at More Fruit Please. She has created an enticing recipe for Tomato, Basil and Cheddar Soup that (thanks to a special ingredient) is both creamy and healthy!

Okay, you’ve got our attention!

Please click here to visit More Fruit Please and see the instructions that we followed!

Mission: Fall always makes me want to cook. Usually it’s the comfort foods that I really crave. When I saw this recipe it was a MUST. I wanted to try it. I have never made a puree type soup. I pretty much stick to making chicken soup in various ways or making my turkey chili.

Details:

It was truly very simple. Saute some onions and garlic, add two cans of diced tomatoes and some vegetable broth, add the basil and other seasonings, and let it all simmer. Add in the Greek yogurt and some shredded cheddar and puree with an Immersion Blender.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

The big tip I have to offer you…do not ribbon the basil. Chop it very finely or it gets all caught up in the Immersion Blender.

Pros:

It was an easy recipe and the flavors together were fantastic.

Cons:

I personally wasn’t too in love with the texture. I can’t figure it out.

Conclusion:

This soup was really easy and inexpensive to make. It was definitely a more flavorful tomato soup. There was just something about the texture. I don’t know if it was the yogurt or the shredded cheddar. It just wasn’t as creamy as I imagined it was going to be. It still went well with my grilled cheese.

Mission: Cold weather brings out my love of soups so I felt this was a perfect recipe to try for the chilly winter months coming ahead! Added bonus, tomato soup is Mike’s favorite!

Details:

I broke out my handy dandy Oster Blender for this recipe! Ok, I have to admit…I personally haven’t used it for its food processing capabilities, not even for this project. I had my friend, Heather, over for dinner and she used her amazing chef skills to puree!

The soup curdled with the Greek yogurt! Sounds gross, right? I went into a panic, the soup wasn’t looking pretty! Have no fear since once you blend the soup, there will be no more signs that things went array!

Oops, 2 cups of cheese were added! With two cooks in the kitchen something will go wrong, right!

Tips & Tricks Learned:

I have goggled for you why the soup curdled and how to prevent it! From reading, I think it was from adding the yogurt too quickly or maybe because it was too cold, so two options poor the yogurt in slowly or let it sit to room temperature before adding.

Suggestion, a hand held Immersion Blender may be best to prevent a mess as Heather had to blend the soup in batches.

Pros:

Very quick and easy! Yummy!

Cons:

Curdle…ugh, I can’t even handle the word!

Conclusion:

I loved this soup! Mike is my tomato soup connoisseur! He was a fan but commented it was bit too cheesy! Next time, just one cup of cheese! Heather’s comment was that it needed a little tomato paste to give it a bit more tomato flavor…I think less cheese may do the trick!

When you are chilled this winter, this is the perfect soup to warm you up! I paired the soup with grilled chicken and salad…I thought it all looked too yummy to not share!

I would also recommend pairing the soup with a cheesy sourdough grilled cheese for a perfect winter meal!

Mission: I absolutely love soup – and tomato soup at that! This recipe sounded easy and didn’t sound like it had an excessive amount of ingredients, which to me is always a good sign. I also had some yummy canned tomatoes from my mom’s Iowa garden that I had been looking to add to a recipe.

Details:

This recipe sounded really straight forward from the get-go and I had many of the ingredients already on-hand, which is a huge plus in my book.

I was able to use up some of my FAGE plain Greek yogurt and had pre-shredded cheddar cheese ready to go in addition to many of the other ingredients.

I sautéed the onions and garlic and continued to follow the recipe as directed. Each step was very straight-forward and easy. The process was simple and quick and came together with ease.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

I used as many ingredients as I had on-hand – one less trip to the grocery store is always awesome in my eyes. Not having to load up my crew to just leave the house is a huge benefit.

I love using fresh summer produce! I was able to use my Mom’s canned Iowa tomatoes as well as fresh basil from my own garden.

Pros:

Super easy to prep and make and had pretty good flavor.

Cons:

Because I used my mom’s canned tomatoes, I think there may have been more natural water already, so I feel I could have skipped adding in the vegetable stock all together as the soup was more watery than I had desired.

I feel the onions and garlic could have been cooked longer to soften them more and bring out more of their flavor before moving on to the next step.

In addition, I stupidly forgot that I have a Magic Bullet, so I kept the soup “chunky” in style vs. blending it smooth. I love soup with texture, so I was totally fine with that, but my only complaint is that the Greek yogurt did not ever really fully melt/smooth into the soup.

Conclusion:

Super easy recipe and a great way to use some fresh produce! I enjoyed it, but am not sure I’ll be making it again as it just wasn’t my favorite soup ever.

Please click here to visit Skinnytaste.com to see the recipe that we followed!

Details:

Tips & Tricks Learned:

A little side of homemade mashed potatoes and some grilled baguette bread are great additions!

Pros:

Easy preparation!

Looks gourmet and tasted like something you would order at a restaurant.

Cons:

I honestly don’t have any cons for this dish. It was truly great!

Conclusion:

This was such an easy dinner to prepare, it looked gourmet and tasted AMAZING! Plus, the cost for this meal was very doable for our family of four. It was right around $20. And I even got to use some goodies from our vegetable garden, which is a win-win!

I will definitely be making this again – it has been added to the recipe box and my husband enjoyed it 🙂 I would highly recommend this for anyone!!

Mission: I knew Mike and I would love this meal…grilling is one of our favorite methods of cooking. I must be honest I am not the griller but for this recipe I decided to learn! Since we have an electric grill, it was easy to get fired up and ready for grilling.

Easy enough to get started and very few ingredients equals perfect recipe for me.

Details:

The ingredients, all fresh which is the best way to cook! I have learned its best to have everything you need ready to go for efficiency and to not forget ingredients. It was also time to fire up the grill at this time.

Instead of flank steak, I substituted with a skirt steak. I couldn’t find the flank steak in the beef section. Piercing the steak with the fork was an easy task. I seasoned first and I am thinking you should potentially do the piercing first so the seasoning can seep into the meat.

Next, I headed to the grill. I fear eating meat that is still alive so I was hoping when I took it off it was going to be cooked and not still mooing. Once I took the steak off the grill, the bloody juices ran across my white platter so I made a judgment call to put the steak back on the grill for a few more minutes.

The tomato salsa needs to be made prior to the grilling so you give it time to marinate. It’s simple with just chopping, pouring and mixing.

After letting the steak rest, just dump the salsa on top and viola! Looks tasty and smells great! (Notice, my picture was taken after I started eating…I almost forget to take a picture! It was that good that you would have done the same!)

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Let the meat rest, holds in the juices! Simple and fresh ingredients can make some of the best dishes.

Save one day a week for chopping so when you are rushed for time, you can quickly put together dishes such as this on even the busiest of days. Sundays or Mondays are my chosen days.

Pros:

It was simple to follow and allowed me to learn to grill! I started making the tomato salsa as my lunch salads for the week.

Cons:

None!

Conclusion:

I can’t wait to make it again. I love to eat fresh ingrediants and have easy meals to put together. This recipe is for keeps!

Mission: To grill up a delicious and healthy dinner that shouldn’t wipe me out before even getting to eat it!

Details:

I always forget something! This time it was the red onion, so I substituted for some diced shallots that I had in the freezer – they worked perfectly!

Our local butcher was out of flank steak, and we had also planned on halving the recipe – so we used two small tenderloins instead.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

We experienced a torrential down pour with about 5 minutes left to go on the grill! The steaks were way too rare, so I wrapped the plate in foil for the 5 minutes and they turned out perfectly!

The tomato topping is exactly what you would pair with a bruschetta! Since we halved the steak part, and then forgot to halve the tomato part, we ate up the remaining topping on some sliced baguettes – delish!

Pros:

This was a super easy dinner to make – even weeknight worthy!

Cons:

My mom and husband were in LOVE with the tenderloin that we got – my husband almost fell out of his chair when I said that I had only seasoned it with garlic salt, salt & pepper. They both felt like the tomatoes overpowered the flavor of the meat. I however, am not as big of a meat fan as they are and felt like the tomatoes were the perfect match for our steak!

Conclusion:

We really enjoyed this easy meal! My husband and I also really enjoyed the tomatoes on their own, and with a bit of bruschetta! This is great any night of the week, and also for summer, when you can grow the produce right in your garden or pick up at the farmers market!

It was so quick and versatile that I will most definitely put it on our list of recipes to make when we not only have company, but entertain lots of friends!

Our mouths were watering just thinking about this delicious snack!

Please click here to visit Six Sisters’ Stuff and see the recipe that we followed!

Mission: I love Chili’s Salsa! These instructions were super easy to follow. I feel confident that even “College Maren” could have handled this recipe! I did refer to the forwarding blog, Six Sisters’ Stuff, for more specific info on the jalapeno situation.

Details:

I wasn’t paying attention to the recipe and did not drain the tomatoes – ooops! I think that this actually made the consistency looser though, which is what I was hoping for. For my jalapenos, I used a full [4 oz] can of Ortega Japapenos, lightly drained.

The lime juice that I added was frozen ahead of time thanks to a pin that I saw on Pinterest! That trick is great if you like to cook with lime juice, or add it to your drinks! I actually used onion that I had chopped and froze a week or two earlier too. I’m just discovering the miracle of “freezing.”

Tips & Tricks Learned:

The most important lesson learned from this experience, the ingredients absolutely DO NOT FIT into a Cuisinart Mini Prep. I was too lazy to get out my full sized Cuisinart, and that was clearly the incorrect choice.

After my salsa explosion, I scooped out [and off the counter] half of the overflowing salsa and continued in half batches until I got a smooth, pureed consistency. I then reflected upon how things would have gone differently had I just gotten out the G. D. Cuisinart.

Pros:

SUPER Easy and delicious! Had some serious kick, but wasn’t too hot. Works well in recipes and on it’s own.

Cons:

Requires a blender or food processor, both of which are heavy and in hard-to-get-at locations in my kitchen and therefore never get used.

Conclusion:

This salsa was ridiculously easy to make! I fed it to my salsa-loving husband and he said, “It tastes like chili. It’s good.” Translation, “I taste the cumin. I like it.”

Don’t be scared by his comment! We partake in a chili cook-off with our college friends each fall. In an overly competitive panic to submit the BEST chili, it is not uncommon for me to make several different kinds in the month preceding the event and feed them to my husband until he can hardly stand hearing the word “chili.” Therefore, as we approach our fourth year, my husband has eaten more cumin…I mean chili, than the average Joe. I didn’t think that it was overly cumin-y at all.

Since it’s just my honey and me in our home, I froze half of the salsa for another day! Thawed it out and used it to make some chicken – it was great! I also like knowing that there isn’t any weird shit in it that I don’t know about. Love this salsa!

Mission: I’ve spent many wonderful evenings catching up with girlfriends over a bowl of chips, Chili’s Salsa, and iced-cold Coronas. Now we all have kids and our get togethers are rare occasions. How great would it be to invite the girls over for some Copycat Chili’s salsa and chat time?

Details:

I was at first a little saddened that there would be very limited chopping or dicing, and no fresh ingredients, but then again the recipe was SUPER easy and I had an entire batch of salsa done and to the table in five minutes. You literally just put the ingredients into a blender or food processor and press the button. It’s ridiculously simple.

I chose to use the blender because my food processor is too small. I tossed in the whole tomatoes, canned jalapenos, and onion. I added the salt, sugar, cumin, and lime juice then just hit the button briefly. DONE.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

2.) A blender might not be the right choice. Complete puree. You would have thought I used tomato sauce instead of whole tomatoes.

Pros:

This can be put together so fast! So, so fast. You can have this all done and cleaned up in a matter of ten minutes. The flavor is pretty darn close to Chili’s salsa.

Cons:

It is definitely on the soupy puree side, and I prefer a chunky salsa. I don’t recall Chili’s salsa being so soup like.

Conclusion:

If you can use a can-opener and press a button YOU can make this salsa. I personally thought there was a little more cumin than I remember Chili’s salsa tasting like. I would adjust that a bit next time. I also don’t remember Chili’s salsa being so soupy, but that was most likely my mistake for using the blender. I’ll just have to add some ice and vodka and have a spicy bloody mary instead.